OK, so it’s going to be one of those days is it? No problem, we’ve got a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot category and we’re not afraid to use it. And here we go (again) . . . Fox News reports that “The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has a new campaign targeting drunken driving. Operation Would U Like Fries, or Operation WULF, will put undercover deputies inside 24-hour fast-food restaurants to spot impaired drivers placing their orders.” No, really. “Sgt. Doug Hanna, a DUI unit supervisor, says if deputies notice someone with classic symptoms of impairment — slurred speech, red or watery eyes or beer breath — they will have a uniformed deputy stationed outside pull the driver over.” A $128,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety will pay for the munchie patrol. Expect AZ drive-thru traffic to quadruple. At least. Dude. [thanks to Dave for the link]
Boston.com reports that “The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe outsold every car in the United States in 2008 with more than 457,000 units delivered . . . The company has sold more than 10 million Coupes worldwide in the model’s 30-year run.” [Thanks to Dangerous Dave—not shown—for the link]
Based on an Autoweek account it seems that not everyone at GM fears the reaper. Bob Lutz clearly doesn’t, meaning a thousand maximum sycophants are going to have to learn a joke that doesn’t involve the government being here to help. At a recent Automotive Press Association luncheon Lutz characterized the PTFOA’s influence as “benevolent oversight and two-way communication between Washington and the auto industry.” And who doesn’t like a good listener with deep pockets? As Lutz delicately puts it, “jeez, it only took 30 years for somebody to finally figure it out.” So when did Mr “Global Warming’s A Crock Of Shit” become such a fan of soft socialism?
Don’t worry: despite the catchy headline, this isn’t going to become a regular TTAC feature. I think. Anyway, pistonheads reports that this tuned estate’s mill generates 585bhp and 509 lb·ft of torque. But wait! There’s more! “The brakes have been upgraded with six-piston callipers and 390mm drilled discs, and a new differential has been added. But the most obvious changes are to the body, on which Vath has spent considerable time and energy creating a new carbon fibre front lip returning 12kg of downforce, large carbon diffuser and carbon side vents. The whole Vath package is rounded off with 20-inch split rims and new Michelin tyres.” No word on price. But if even if you could afford it, would you?
Actor Mathew Modine votes aye over at HuffPo, calling our four-wheeled friends “the new pariahs.” After informing us that the world’s resources are finite, bicycles rule, and that there’s much to be learned from a baby’s first steps, Modine finally gets around to making his argument.
“We must look at the automobile as a cigarette–a cancer stick–a nail in our collective coffin. The sexy lifestyle that the tobacco industry sold to us contains the same advertising lies and poison which the automobile industry sold and continues to sell to the world. Look at the ads for automobiles and you’ll begin to recognize the lies. You’ll see open roads with happy smiling drivers. Ask yourself, When was the last time I was NOT stuck in traffic?”
Interestingly, the lasting impression from Modine’s rant is that actors’ opinions are like all forms of advertising: facile and misleading.
You may remember Malcolm Bricklin as the man who unleashed the Yugo on an unsuspecting American public. Or as the car guy who brought automotive enthusiasts the mid-engined rust bucket known as the Fiat X1/9 (re-badged Bertone). Or, infinitely more forgivably, you might know Malcolm as the entrepreneur who gave Subaru its start stateside. Moving up the car nerd food chain and deep into the realm of delusion, Bricklin’s name is reasonably synonymous with his eponymous car company, Canadian manufacturer of the ill-fated SV-1. For those of you who have never heard of a Pet Rock (and couldn’t imagine why anyone would want one), Bricklin’s broken ass deal to import Chinese Cherys into The Land of the Free (Perkins, IL excepted) may be the freshest factoid. Moving on to today, Malcolm Bricklin has revealed his desire to end his career in ridicule. Which, of course, starts here . . .
Or not. The best part? The LF-A, seen burning here at the 24 Hours Nürburgring, has just been re-approved for production, according to Motor Trend. Oy.
Popular Science clears the air (so to speak) about which of America’s favorite intoxicants impairs driving skill the most. And it turns out that the stoned driver is a careful driver. Well, compared to a drunk driver, anyway. Research from a fancy driving simulator at Ben Gurion University’s Laboratory for Human Factors in Road Safety shows that reefer-crazed drivers drove considerably slower than the control group, while drunk drivers drove faster. In addition, “the drinking drivers also tended to be confident and boast a sense of control, while the pot smokers seem to be ‘more aware of their impairment.'” Of course, PopSci and Ben Gurion University don’t exactly condone doobing and driving. “None of the doped-up or drinking drivers were models of safety on the road. They tended to switch lane positions, swerve, and vary their steering,” is the verdict. But that’s just, like, their opinion… man. In honor of TTAC’s recent exploration of the legal grey areas of on-road behavior, we thought we’d ask: what are the five best rules of stoned driving? Entries will be accepted until 6pm Eastern Time. The winner gets the unclaimed (previous contest) Taschenwörterbuch der Kraftfahrzeugtechnik (English-German car technical dictionary). Because compound words are mind blowing after a toke or two. Dude.
A member of our Best and Brightest is smarting from a recent ownership experience:
I am a Detroit born, car loving, long time fan of your site, so when I had this experience, I thought I would share it with you. A year ago I was the proud recipient of the second Smart car delivered by Smartcenter of Beverly Hills. The car performed flawlessly—until last Tuesday. I was on my way to the airport and stopped for gas. When I shifted the selector into gear, the car did not really care. It just sat there and the engine revved. I tried to push it, and the transmission was locked. I called my dealer because I knew there was roadside service, but I did not know the number. The receptionist picked up the phone and I asked for roadside assistance and she patched me through to a number. From the way they picked up on the other end, I did not think it was the right number.
“8 Mile” rapper, Eminem, may not be Detroit’s most famous son, but it’s not for lack of trying. Or, for that matter, posturing. The recording artist has decided that the effect of the Motown meltdown on the working stiff is top notch fodder for the hang dog (or is that Snoop Dog?) side of his public persona. Marshall Mathers was born in a pleasant middle class suburb and earned $18 million or so last year notwithstanding. Obviously. But penning a paean to pistonhead paradise lost isn’t enough for our boy, he’s got to bring it. Well, them. Two hundred of them. TV Squad [via Yahoo! via the Detroit Free Press] reports that Eminem is transporting 200 unemployed Detroit workers to the set of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” this Friday just to prove a point: he’s a man of the people and his new album is dope. No, wait; that’s not it. I’ve got it! Wall Street has screwed all the selfless, salt of the earth automotive workers who’ve never heard of Eminem and, other than the free food, booze, and flight this stunt entails, wouldn’t cross the street to give Marshall the time of day. Nor him them. So I guess it’s a wash. Peace out, yo.
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